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PROCEEDINGS. 



On Monday evening, the 19th of November, 1866, a large 
and attentive audience gathered in the First Congregational 
church, to listen to an address by Rev. Joseph Edwin Roy, 
of Chicago, in commemoration of the Thirtieth Anniversary 
of the Settlement of Geneseo. The exercises were opened 
by appropriate devotional services, under the direction of the 
pastor, Rev. Harry Brickett. 



MEMORIAL ADDRESS. 

As the West, one-third of a century ago, was rapidly opening 
to emigration, the fearful question arose among thoughtful 
and patriotic Christians at the East: What shall be done to 
save that immense region of our country from Romanism, 
barbarism, and infidelity ? The Papacy had early explored 
this vast domain, and had established its series of mission 
stations across the continent. Detroit, Sault Ste. Marie, Prai- 
rie du Chien, Kaskaskia and St. Louis were Catholic centers 
of occupation, from which the whole land was to be possessed. 
A tide of foreign and Catholic immigration was setting in. 
Then it was seen that the tendency of new settlements, with- 
out the restraints of established society, without the influence 
of education and of Christianity, would be to lower the tone 
of culture and of morality, and so to produce barbarism. 
Besides this, it was know^n than certain infidel leaders had 
their eye upon this open field, and hoped, as they actually 
made effort, to plant their skepticism here. 

Thus, while the West was filling up, the forces of Gog and 



Magog seemed to be mustering here for a defiant occupancy. 
It was a crisis of solemn import in our country. Our repub- 
licanism, which is based upon the virtue and intelligence of 
the people, was in jeopardy. But God met the crisis. He 
met it by that wondrous out-pouring of his Spirit, which 
resulted in those distinguished revivals of religion that swept 
over the eastern and middle States from 1830 to 1835. This 
w^as just as the flood of emigration was rising. Multitudes 
of those who had been converted were among the emigrants. 
Many were young men, who yet had their life-work before 
them, and a broad field for its development. 

That revival was characterized doctrinally — not, as the one 
which had preceded it, by an exaltation of the sovereignty of 
God, but by an urging of the individual obligation of man. 
This was true, not simply in regard to the matter of personal 
salvation, but in regard to the whole sphere of religious life 
and influence. That revival made practical Christians. The 
great question was : "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" 
In the travail of that revival the two great reforms of Temper- 
ance and Anti-Slavery had their birth. Then the schemes of 
organic benevolence, that had grown out of the preceding 
revival period of 1787, took on new life and vigor. Especially 
did the work of home and of foreign missions receive new 
impetus. New zeal was awakened for the conversion of Jews, 
Romanists, and other foreign immigrants, and particularly of 
our own native population. This state of mind, taken in con- 
nection with the rapid opening of the West, revived in many 
Christian minds the prayerful inquiry: Where can I go^ to 
make my life tell the most for my Redeemer, for my country ? 

Just then God answered that prayer, and solved the prob- 
lem of the destiny of the West, by turning thither many 
young Christian families and colonies, a vast population, to 
plant churches and schools, to organize society upon the 
gospel basis, to extend that Christian civilization which is the 
support of our republicanism. Many came with a purpose to 
accomplish moral and religious results, as much so as did the 
original Pilgrims ; while others, coming more from personal 
motives, did not know, till they had entered upon their allotted 
work, what God had determined for them to do. Many a man 



3 

of those immigrants did not know the plan for which God had 
girded him, until he found himself away from the society 
where he had nothing to do, and in a community where his 
influence was eminent and superior. Two or three of these 
Christian households, or even one, were enough to form the 
nucleus of a Christian society — the leaven of a community. In 
my pilgrimage through the West I have been surprised to 
find how many of the influential men of our churches were 
converted at the East during that revival era. We find them 
almost every where. 

As examples of this influence, organized into colonies, we 
have Marietta, Oberlin, Olivet, Galesburg, Princeton, Grin- 
nell, and many others of less extensive combination. These 
became the centers of organizing power, the result of which 
has been that our western States are to-day practically Puritan 
in civil administration, in prevailing sympathy and influence. 
Thus God has saved tlie West from false Christ and anti- 
Christ; so that, in spite of the immense immigration of for- 
eign papists and infidels, a larger proportion of the people of 
our country are in connection with evangelical churches than 
before this tide of population set in. By this Christianizing 
process the West has been saved to the cause of our country. 
Thus its people had been prepared for the rude shock of trea- 
son, having been dissociated from the hordes of traitors, who 
had counted on local interest and consanguinity as motives 
that would overmaster loyalty. The West, Christianized, has 
preserved the national life. 

In connection with this grand providential development 
was the planting of this colony, with its enfolded church and 
school. Bergen and its vicinity, in New York, had shared, in 
an unusual degree, the blessing of that revival period. In 
1831 several neighboring pastors united in holding at that 
place a series of meetings, which resulted in bringing almost 
the whole community into the church. After that, under the 
Rev. John T. Avery, who was just then starting upon his 
career as an evangelist, powerful revivals were enjoyed in this 
and the contiguous places of Riga, LeRoy, and Stone Church, 
the church in Bergen receiving some sixty or seventy addi- 



tions. In the glow of this revival was developed the idea and 
the plan of onr colony. Some of the brethren were moved, 
as Gov. Bradford tells us the Pilgrims were, " by a great hope 
and inward zeal of laying some good foundation, or at least to 
make some way thereunto, for the propagating and advancing 
of the gospel of the kingdom of Christ in those remote parts 
of the world ; yea^ though they should he hut as stepping-stones 
unto others for the performing of so great a work." It would 
be extremely interesting if we could reproduce the scene of 
those early, prayerful consultations, — the brethren, w^ith their 
pastor, Kev. Jairus Wilcox, planning, like Abraham, and for 
the same purpose, the extension of the kingdom of God, to 
go out into a distant country, they knew not where, and with 
the courage of the explorers of Canaan, who said : " Let us 
go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome 
it." The uppermost thought with them was not of bettering 
their worldly condition, but of doing good. Deacon Ward 
writes me of that period: "Many Christians felt that they 
ouo-ht to do more for the spread of the blessed gospel. It was 
our special object to plant the institutions of religion and of 
education." When Mr. Stewart returned from one of those 
consultations at the house of Elisha Cone, where were also 
assembled Jairus Wilcox, J. C. Ward, Eeuben Cone, Harry 
Manville, and Cromwell K. Bartlett — the eight men having 
their supper furnished them by the child colonist, Clara, six 
years of age — he inquired of his eldest son if he did not think 
it would be a good thing to go out West, as missionaries. 

The idea of the colony originated with Kev. J. Wilcox and 
J. C. Ward. The others having the West in mind, readily 
fell in with this scheme. Messrs. Bartlett, Ward and Stewart 
were appointed an exploring committee, being instructed to 
fix upon a site for a village, and to lay off the same into lots, 
which should be sold when purchasers might be found of 
good character and husiness, the avails to be applied to a high 
school. 

Arriving at Chicago in June, 1836, they met Judge (after- 
ward Governor) Ford, who advised them to strike for this 
tract of land, which they did without delay. At Branden- 
burg's they found Mr. James M. Allen, who assisted them in 



locating the site of the colony, where now stands tliis thriving 
young city. They bought this section of land at one dollar 
and a quarter per acre, selected the best part of it for the vil- 
lage plat of forty acres, set apart the cemetery, a block for the 
school and the church, the beautiful public square, and "the 
gospel lot,^' which has just received its commodious parson- 
age. At first the plan and the practice was to give every 
respectable man a village lot, if he would build upon it. The 
committee returned and made report to the proprietors, who 
determined to make the removal that fall. 

But, as the Pilgrims came to this ]^ew World as an organ- 
ized church, so our colonists preferred to covenant with God 
and with one another before going forth ; and so, in the Stone 
Church, on the 13th of September, 1836, they were, by eccle- 
siastical council, organized a self-governing band of disciples 
to go out and become a church in the wilderness. Rev. Messrs. 
Wilcox, Hull and Bridgman acted in the council. The two 
Messrs. Cone, C. K. Bartlett, J. C. Ward, and Harry Man- 
ville, with their wives and the three children, Mary E. and 
Amanda E. Bartlett, and Harriet Cone, constituted the church 
of thirteen members. Elisha Cone and J. C. Ward were 
chosen and ordained as deacons. A sermon was preached 
from that beautifully appropriate text : ''^Ile that goeth forth and 
weepeth^ hearing precious seed^ shall doubtless come again luith 
rejoicing^ hringing his sheaves with himP A solemn address 
was delivered to the church, and another to the deacons. 

Three days later, on the 17th of September, five families of 
the colony — those of the two Cones, the two Bartletts, and R. 
R. Stewart — numbering forty persons, in their own wagons, 
entered upon the journey. The families of Mr. Ward and 
Mr. Manville remained behind, to follow on the next spring. 
The route of the company was across Canada, Southern Mich- 
igan and Northern Indiana, via Princeton, Illinois. The 
journey required nine weeks. Kear Ypsilanti, Michigan, the 
roads were so bad that they made only seven miles in six 
days, their wagon boxes sometimes dipping mud. The stage 
coach, keeping them company for a time, was once upset in 
their sight, plunging a woman and her child out of sight, 
while the other passengers, on foot, were literally carrying the 



6 

mythical rail. In Illinois they report that they got sloughed 
many times. They kept the Sabbath all the way, attending 
church where they found it, and holding their own worship, 
along with the read sermon, when they did not find public 
service. In Canada, while they were attending church, there 
was a horse race immediately in front of the sanctuary. One 
of the horses, bolting, threw his rider against a grave-stone in 
the grave-yard, and killed him before their eyes. There was 
only one exception to their sanctifying the Lord's da}^, when 
two of the families, the Bartletts, pushed on, one Sabbath, 
only to meet with disaster, and soon to be overtaken by the 
remnant of the company 1 

That Fall was not so pleasant as this has been ; but was wet, 
cold and stormy. Says one of the colonists : *' It was after 
suifering incredible hardships by mud and storm, and snow 
and cold, that we arrived upon the chosen site, just two months 
after the departure, on the 19th of JSTovember ;" and this is 
the day, my friends, which the remnant of the colony, and 
those who have come after them, join in celebrating. It is 
but an act of piety thus to recognize the wisdom and the 
goodness of God in initiating this movement, and to recount 
the many blessings with which he has crowned it. It is but 
a filial duty to commemorate the beginnings of so good a work, 
undertaken by godly parents for Christ and his church, and 
in behalf of children and children's children. 

Let us in imagination set ourselves back to the 19th day of 
November, 1836, and, from the ridge on the south, look in 
upon the freshly arrived colony. It is a wide, broad prairie, 
not in the bloom of spring, but in that sombre brown of the 
autumn, so desolate and drear. The wild fowls and the prairie 
wolf have scarcely had their right of occupancy questioned. 
As far as the eye can reach, no human habitation is visible, 
except the canvas-covered wagons of the colony, huddled 
under the edge of the grove. The music of the waterfall upon 
the stream, which waits to take to itself the name of the pro- 
jected village, is a promise of lumber and of bread. On the 
west, twenty-five miles, is the fort on Kock Island, with the 
small settlement about it. On the south the little colony of 
Andover and Wethersfield are just taking possession of their 



territory, while at Henderson Grove, forty miles away, is an 
old Sucker settlement, with the Galesburg colony hovering 
under the border of its forest in the famous " log city." On 
the east is the village of Princeton, settled in 1831, by a col- 
ony from Northampton, Massachusetts. On the north three 
families are just settled on Rock River, where Lyndon is to 
be. Here and there is the solitary family of Brandenburg, of 
Gordon, on Green River, of Crook and Seeley, at the Proph- 
etstown. But all of these are only like the solitary ships upon 
the undulating ocean of the prairie. 

But our colony must have shelter for the winter. They 
live in their wagons while preparing their cabins. A rude log 
house is laid up on the edge of the grove south. In it three 
families lind a home. At night, from the adjoining hill, the 
opening shakes of the roof, nailed on, instead of being bound 
down by timbers, make the cabin resemble a lighted lantern. 
Then, in the teeth of winter another is built for the Cones, 
where now stands the house of Lyman Snow, and another for 
Mr. Stewart — the same which, with its leather latch-string, 
served for so many years, and on the same site, as the Geneseo 
House — now displaced by the elegant hotel, which can accom- 
modate its one hundred guests. Elisha Stewart, as he draws 
out upon the prairie the first log for that cabin, freezes his face. 
It was in February of that winter, when occurred that sudden 
and dreadful change of the weather, when many people per- 
ished, when travelers cut open their horses to find shelter and 
warmth — when, as at Galesburg, hogs froze into their tracks. 
At that time Reuben Cone and Elisha Stewart were at French's 
Grove, to get three tons of pork for the colony — not afraid of 
trichinae then ! While there, men come in from Indian Creek, 
badly frozen. Deacon Cone, while out looking for his cows, 
freezes his feet; and Reuben, at another time, is frozen to insen- 
sibility, and almost to unconsciousness. The colony goes down 
to Egypt, to buy corn, that is to Henderson Grove, though 
they say the Suckers did not put their money back into the 
mouth of the sacks. Their principal living is corn bread and 
pork. For three years they go to Andover for post-office 
accommodation — a subordination now reversed. To Andover 
they draw logs to be sawed for building purposes. 



8 

In the winter of 1836 and 1837, Mr. James M. Allen goes 
to Yandalia and secures a separate organization of Henry- 
county — it having before that been attached to Knox. At the 
first county election, held in June, 1837, only thirty-seven 
votes are polled ; the vote is now five thousand. In the Spring 
Mr. Rufus Hubbard, who, emigrating from Bergen the same 
year with the colony, had settled in Adams county, Illinois, 
comes up and builds a hewed log house, the best in town, 
where now stands Wells and Bidwell's store, though he does 
not bring up his family till the fall of the year. In June, 
Messrs. Ward and Manville bring on their families, twelve 
members in all, and find quarters in Mr. Hubbard's cabin. 
The land is divided into parcels and drawn by lot, in propor- 
tion to the amount of money put in. Then comes the task of 
subduing and fencing the prairie. The people are poor. The 
expense of removal and new country life exhaust their lim- 
ited funds. Distance from market keeps prices down, so that 
for several years corn is worth only ten or twelve cents a 
bushel ; wheat, thirty to fifty ; pork, a dollar and a half per 
hundred ; and cows, ten or twelve dollars each. This is also 
the period of the great financial crash of 1837 and 1838. Yet, 
struggling with adversity, the community advances. Other 
families, of like sympathy, are drawn in, and they deserve 
almost equal credit with the original settlers. Some of these 
were the households of Marcus B. Osborne, Lyman Snow, 
Philo Ward, Enos Pomeroy, Mr. Gilmore and Mr. Richards. 
The town grows but slowly, and for several years before the 
railroad comes along, it is nearly at a stand-still as to its exter- 
nal progress. But that great thoroughfare brings the place 
out into the world, gives it new life, makes it a commercial 
center with four thousand population, an annual railroad busi- 
ness of three hundred thousand dollars, and a grain business 
of half a million of bushels, and with its Congregational, 
Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, and German 
churches. 

In order to secure something of completeness, and yet avoid 
repetition, I will reduce the remainder of this Memorial Nar- 
rative to the to2?ical order. 



PLACES OF WORSHIP. 

As the church and the school were the twin ideas of the 
colony, we should expect that they would speedily be symbol- 
ized in a jplace for worship and for study. The first place of 
this kind was erected in July of 1837, upon the Public Square: 
It was eighteen feet square, built of poles laid up three feet 
high, with crotches set up in the corners, to sustain the poles, 
over which, for a roof, were stretched their several wagon 
covers. Bass wood puncheon served as flooring and seats. 
This was a pleasant-weather building, as we have now-a-days 
a pleasant-weather religion ; for when it rained, the scholars 
or the worshipers were compelled to retreat to the cabins. 
The next year, that of 1838, a school-house was built upon 
the square, twenty feet on each side, covered with siding split 
out of oak, the colony having resolved that the first frame 
building erected should be consecrated to the church and the 
school. This was afterwards removed to the corner, where 
now stands this church, and enlarged by an addition of twelve 
feet. This house was used until it was supplanted in the 
spring of 1848, by the brick building, which also in turn 
served the double purpose of sanctuary and seminary, till the 
28th of May, 1856, when this ample and substantial church 
edifice was dedicated with great joy. The sermon, preached 
by the pastor, Kev. S. H. Waldo, was from a text character- 
istic of the spirit of the colony : " Always abounding in the 
work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your work is 
not in vain in the Lord." 

THE MINISTERS. 

For a year and a half the colony was without a stated min- 
istry; but still public worship was all that time sustained, 
either in the private cabins or in the rude pole sanctuary — the 
deacons conducting the service and reading sermons, mostly 
those published in the Oherlin Evangelist. Eev. Mr. Pills- 
bury, of Andover, gave them an occasional sermon, and 
administered their first communion in Deacon Ward's cabin, 
on the 18th of April, 1838 — a day well remembered by a hail 
storm that broke out nearly all their window glass. In May, 



10 

1838, Rev. Jairus Wilcox came on to the colony with his 
family, and in June was elected pastor, upon a salary of four 
hundred dollars. In the seminary at Yale he had promised 
Flavel Bascom that he would go West. It was in response to 
Mr. Bascom's continued solicitations that he came on. Ar- 
rived at Chicago, after ten days upon the lakes, his family was 
met by C. K. Bartlett and Anson M. Hubbard, who moved 
them in. Having been drawn through many sloughs with 
chains, they came to Green River, where there was neither 
bridge, nor ferry, nor ford. Finding Mrs. Gordon at her 
home, upon the bank, it took but a word to interest her in the 
new famil3^ She said she would set them over; and so, 
instructing them to swim the horses over by the side of the 
canoe, she had the wheels of each wagon set into two canoes, 
and so ferried them over. 

Going lirst into Deacon Ward's cabin, Mr. Wilcox built a 
log shanty on his place, north of the village, and covered it 
with hay. There they lived nine months. A traveling cler- 
gyman, upon being invited to spend the night with them, 
declined, saying that his health and life were too valuable to 
be thus exposed. Mr. Wilcox had a business tact, which made 
him useful to the secularities of the place. It has been said 
that the community is not a little indebted to his taste and 
enterprise for the ornamenting of the Public Square and the 
streets of the town with trees. Surely he that plants a tree 
is a benefactor; but the second planting, that is now^ growing 
up around the noble, central elm, reminds us of the wisdom 
of caution as to what we plant, whether it be in the vegetable 
or the moral kingdom. He was also greatly interested in the 
seminary, making two trips to the East in its behalf, and look- 
ing up the first two principals of the institution — Revs. Jason 
Chapin and Addison Lyman. Indeed he took up the entire 
interest of the colony into his aspiration, and accomplished 
great good as the pioneer missionary. In 1845 he closed his 
labors here and removed to Chicago, to take charge of the 
Seamen's Bethel, in which service he was engaged until called 
to his reward, leaving his family to grow up in that city into 
a sphere of influence and usefulness. After him Rev. William 
T. Allen supplied the pulpit six or eight months. 



11 

The next minister was Rev. Addison Lyman, from Torring- 
ford, Connecticut, who began his service here on the 6th of 
October, 1845. In this capacity he sei*ved for two years, nntil 
he entered upon the principalship of the seminary, continu- 
ing, however, to supply the desk for some months, till a, pastor 
was secured. Bev. C. S. Cady served the church one year 
from the 1st of October, 1848. Eev. A. J. Copeland then 
served the church for two years and three months, from the 
1st of December, 1S49, to February, 1852. The church then 
called Rev. H. Ward ; but having already accepted a call at 
Lyndon, he declined. His most acceptable ministry there was 
soon cut short by a casualty that ended his life. Rev. J. "W. 
Korth occupied the pulpit for one year from November, 1852. 
Here I have myself to acknowledge the honor of a call to this 
jDastorate, which came to me in 1853, just as I was entering the 
ministry, but after I had engaged to labor in the missionary 
church at Brimfield. The next pastor was Rev. S. H. Waldo, 
who labored among you three years, from January, 1855, to 
January, 1858. Under his pastorate this house of worship 
was erected, forming a new era in the history of the church. 
Next comes the pastorate of Rev. Milo N. Miles, during the 
two years of 1858 and 1859. Then that of Rev. B. C. Ward, 
for one year and a half. Rev. J. T. Cook served you in the 
ministry two years, those of 1862 and 1863. During the year 
1864, Rev. M. N. Miles served as supply. In May, 1865, the 
present pastor. Rev. Harry Brickett, began his labors among 
you. This glance at the apostolic succession in this church 
shows that it has not lacked for variety in the ministerial 
office, having had the average of a new minister every three 
years ; nor has it lacked in ministerial fidelity, ability, self- 
denial and usefulness. 

REVIVALS OF RELIGION. 

Coming from the midst of that spiritual refreshing in New 
York, and very much on account of it, we should expect that 
our colonists would love revivals, and be anxious to promote 
them. And here was another element in the ministration of 
that period of awakening. It not only sent the men West, 
but it taught them how to work. Indeed, in searching the 



12 

records of this church, it has struck me that its revival spirit 
has been its peculiarity. Before the colony had settled down, 
before it had secured a pastor, while it was occupying the 
canvas-covered hut on the Public Square, in the Summer of 
1837, the first work of grace was enjoyed. They could not 
wait for the more permanent settling of their affairs ; and, as 
they had covenanted to pray for the conversion of every adult 
person in the community, God could not wait, for he had 
promised that if his people would bring all the tithes into the 
storehouse, he would pour them out such a blessing that there 
would not be room enough to receive it. And he did it. 
There were no more adult persons left to be converted. In 
1838-'39 there was another season of spiritual exaltation, with 
a similar result — all the youth of suitable age and all the 
adults becoming the hopeful disciples of Christ. In the Win- 
ter of 1841 and 1812, our pastor at Lyndon, Kev. E. H. Haz- 
ard, and our deacon, A. R. Hamilton, both of them dear men 
of God, and now" with Him above, came here to assist Mr. 
"Wilcox in a meeting, which resulted in the hopeful conversion 
of all the adults, save two men. Deacon "Ward, writing to me, 
speaks of this as a continuous revival for five years. Soon 
after this these three men met for a similar work at the log 
school-house in Sharon, Mr. Wilcox's out-station, to which he 
had frequently walked across the desolate prairie, twelve miles, 
and where he had organized a Presbyterian church. The 
result was a precious movement, which brought in the princi- 
pal man of the neighborhood, who, at Portland, Maine, had 
been one of Dr. Payson's stony-ground hearers, who then, 
largely by his own means, built a neat church and a parsonage, 
which yet crown the hill of Sharon, and who, in Chicago, has 
been for many years a pillar in the church. Just there, in the 
freshness of my first love, it was my pleasure to attend that 
church dedication, the services being conducted by your pastor 
and mine. In April, 1819, during Mr. Cady's ministr}^, thir- 
teen persons were gathered into the church upon profession of 
faith, as the fruit of a spiritual harvest. In 1851, under Mr. 
Copeland, another refreshing from the presence of the Lord 
was experienced, and a number of souls were added to the 
company of the disciples. Nineteen persons united with the 



13 

clinrcli, on profession, during Mr. Waldo's ministry. In the 
o;reat awakening of 1858, Mr. Miles was assisted by Kev. 
Nathaoiel Smith, and in one month thirty-eight persons made 
a public profession of Christ. In 1862, Mr. Cook was per- 
mitted to rejoice in an in-gathering, which added thirty-six 
persons to the church. During this harvest it was my joy to 
take a place by the side of Brothers Cook and Miles, and 
thrust in my sickle for a week. A morning prayer meeting 
observed at that time went far on into the summer. Again, 
in the fall of 1863, Mr. Cook was assisted by Eev. George 
Clark in a protracted meeting, which brought in another band 
of disciples. During the present pastorate thirty-three per- 
sons have been joined to the church by confession of Christ, 
twenty-seven of whom came last May, as the result of the last 
season of refreshing. 

Of the aggregate membership of the church, six hundred 
and ninety-six, I find that two hundred and fifty-four were 
added by profession of faith. But this does not represent the 
entire number of hopeful conversions ; for many of those who 
have here been led to Christ were pupils in the schools, and 
became identified with churches at their respective homes. 
Yet this diffusiveness of the work is one of the features of its 
interest and excellence. Then some went into other churches 
here. It is interesting to observe that revival efforts have not 
lost their effectiveness in this church, the last year having had 
its refreshing as well as the first, and the last several years 
having had works no less powerful than those of the earlier 
period, and so it may continue to be, if the church shall not 
fall into any stereotyped system of measures, but pursue in 
the future, a^3 in the past, the leadings of God's Spirit in using 
a variety of special means along with the regular administra- 
tion of the gospel. These have been seasons of precious 
spiritual exaltation. They have been the power of God unto 
salvation. Without these seasons of spiritual heat many a 
covenant of death would never have been broken. Some 
tares have grown up with the wheat — some chaff has been 
gathered with it into the garner of church fellowship ; but the 
result of these revivals has been the spiritual life of the com- 
munity. 



14 



THE SABBATH SCHOOL 



Was commenced in the rude tabernacle upon the square, in 
1837, and has been continued through Summer and Winter. 
Its first superintendent was Deacon Ward, who continued in 
this oifice until his removal from the place, in 1855, except 
that Rev. John T. Pierce held this office during 1852 and 
1853. Referring to that first place of meeting, Deacon Ward 
says : '' There the Lord Jesus met with us, and blessed us in 
reviving our spirits and in the conversion of souls. There, 
too, we had a blessed Sabbath School, with children finding 
Jesus precious to their souls." After him Mr. John G. Walker 
served as superintendent two or three years; then Deacon 
Huntington, and then Mr. A. M. Hubbard. Mr. H. Thomas, 
in 1856, was installed in this office, and has remained in it to 
the present time, with the exception of the year and a half of 
the efficient service of J. T. K. Sleight, himself a child of the 
church and of the Sabbath School. Under Mr. Thomas the 
monthly Sabbath School Concert was introduced, and has been 
continued with increasing interest and profit. During these 
last ten years the number of scholars has increased from 
eighty -five to two hundred and fifty. There have not been 
more than two years without a revival in the school, and in 
this time it is thought that two hundred of its members have 
been brought into fellowship with Christ ; thus proving that 
the Sunday School is the nursery of the church. The super- 
intendent testifies that "such has been the faithfulness and 
success of the teachers in winning souls to Christ, that very 
few of those who have been habitual attendants have failed 
to become decided Christians." It is also to be said in com- 
mendation of this school, that it has adopted the graded sys- 
tem, which runs from the infant class up through those of boys 
and girls, lads and misses, young men and young women, and 
middle-aged people to the spectacled class — all thus joining in 
the beautiful service of. the study of God's word; the older 
setting for the younger the example and the stimulus of love 
for the school, and so leaving no place for any to drop out as 
too big or too old for this Lord's-day school. In this connec- 
tion it may be stated that there is on record the baptism of 



15 

fifty-nine infants, which, being only two a year, though some 
may have not been recorded, would seem to fall below a due 
appreciation of the duty and the privilege of consecrating to 
God the offspring of the church. 

OFFICERS OF THE CHURCH. 

J. C. Ward and Elisha Cone were elected deacons at the 
organization of the church, and remained in that office until 
Deacon Cone was removed, in September, 1846, to bear the 
vessels of the Lord in the upper sanctuary, and Deacon Ward 
returned, in 1855, to the old homestead, to discharge a filial 
duty. Keuben Cone, one of the colonists, succeeded his 
brother in this office, and after several years of service 
removed to Kansas, to help to lay the foundations of that 
historic State. His place was filled by E. P. Yan Yalkenburg. 
John Tufts succeeded Deacon Ward, and continues in the 
office to this day. 

In July, 1859, the number of deacons was increased to four, 
and Daniel Little and Eobert Steele were elected. Kecently 
the church has added, as a fifth deacon, Mr. Elihu Bryant; so 
that the diaconate now stands — John Tufls, Daniel Little, 
Robert Steele, E. P. Yan Yalkenburg, and Elihu Bryant, 
whom may God bless in purchasing to themselves a good 
degree, and great boldness in the faith, which is in Christ 
Jesus. During the period of the connection of the church 
with the Presbytery, Messrs. J. C. Ward, Harry Manville, R. 
R. Stewart, Elisha Cone, Amos Adams, George Richards, 
and Philo S. Ward, served as elders. The clerks of the church 
have been C. K. Bartlett, William H. Hubbard, Enos Pome- 
roy, Harry Manville, Gustavus Wilcox, S. H. Waldo, J. D. 
K. Sleight, G. B. Perry, and Ira Wells, now in office. 

Down to the time of the building of this house of worship, 
the church elected its trustees directly, as a special statute of 
this State authorizes. In March, 1855, by the approving vote 
of the church, an Ecclesiastical Society was formed, and N". 
B. Huntington, Merritt Munson, Whitfield Sanford, J. N. 
Stewart and Robert Getty were chosen trustees, and D. L. 
Perry clerk. The present officers are: Trustees — J. M.'Tay- 



16 

lor, A. W. Bidwell, C. S. Ward, E. P. . Yan Yalkenburg ; 
Clerk — Frank Curtis. 

MORAL TESTIMONY. 

That great revival which produced these colonies also toned 
up public sentiment upon questions of moral reform ; so that 
this church came West with its principles adopted and recorded 
as standing rules, namely, not to receive to its fellowship any 
who made, used, or sold intoxicating drinks, nor any who did 
not believe that slaveholding was sin, and were not willing to 
do what they could to break every yoke, nor any who disfel- 
lowshiped the cause of moral reform, nor any who fellow- 
shiped the Papal church. The purpose of the colonists was 
not to sell lots to any persons who would use them for the 
traffic in liquors. Until the opening of the railroad this was 
essentially a temperance town. But now I wish to give the 
alarm to the stalwart Samson : '' The Philistines are upon 
thee !" Would that he might arise and break the withes of 
conservatism, and custom, and cruel traffic, and with the jaw- 
bone of an ass drive them hence ! This town was early, and 
for a long time, a station on the underground railroad, which 
a nephew of John C. Calhoun, a Methodist Episcopal preacher, 
thought, as he told a friend of mine at the South, was really 
a subterranean passage ! The gospel of freedom has ever here 
been boldly proclaimed. The influence of Geneseo in leaven- 
ing public sentiment upon the subject of our nation's crime 
and shame, has been quite extensive, and now the glorious 
triumph of this reform, which one of your own citizens,* 
thirty-five years ago, assisted in initiating, taking refuge from 
mob violence in my own father's house, in Ohio, is the result 
of that testimony of conscience through a third of a century, 

CHURCH SINGING. 

In the earliest part of the settlement, Mr. Samuel E. Bacon 
was here, to instruct in vocal music; and, later, Mr. Anson 
M. Hubbard. The community has been noted for its musical 
attainment. The singing of that early choir I remember as 

* Rev. William T. Allen. 



17 

of a high order. The singers of Geneseo and of Galesburg 
were accustomed to unite in musical exercise. The high 
standard of that early day has had its effect upon the later 
services of the choir, holding it up to an unusual degree of 
excellence. 

CHURCH DISCIPLINE. 

One, in reading over the records of this thirty years, is 
made to realize that saying of Jesus : " It must needs be that 
offences come." Some of these were cases that occasioned 
sore trial to the church ; but, so far as the records report, there 
seems to have been a mingled fidelity and forbearance. If, 
as Dr. Dwight teaches, church discipline is a means of grace, 
this church must have made commendable progress under the 
exercise of this church function. 

HOME MISSIONARY CONNECTION. 

It was but natural that the missionary colony should be 
associated with the American Home Missionary Society. Ac- 
cordingly, we find that the first minister came on with a com- 
mission from that Society, which met the expenses of the 
journey, and began by paying three-fourths of the then stand- 
ard ministerial salary at the "West — four hundred dollars. The 
three hundred dollars of aid was reduced the next year to two 
hundred and fifty dollars, and again to two hundred dollars, 
and then to one hundred dollars, until the church became self- 
supporting, having received from that source, in the aggre- 
gate, eighteen hundred and fifty dollars. As a representative 
of that Society, I pronounce its appropriations here a good 
investment ; it has realized such grand moral results, and is 
receiving back such generous contributions of the church as 
will eventually cancel principal as well as interest. It is grati- 
fying to find in the records the appreciating recognition of the 
mutual relation of the two missionary organizations, in the 
yearly vote of application, in the constant desire to reduce the 
amount of aid needed, and to hasten the day of self-support, 
and in the disposition to relinquish the pastor for a portion of 
the time, to engage in such outside labor as that at Sharon. 
2 



18 



CHURCH POLITY. 



The churches in New York, out of which this one was 
formed, were Congregational. As already detailed, it was 
regularly constituted a Congregational church by an Ecclesi- 
astical Council. It settled upon the prairie here as such. 
According to the instinct of church life, it desired church fel- 
lowship; but whither should it look for such communion? 
By the working of the plan of union, nearly all of the Con- 
gregational material coming West was being vamped into 
Presbyterian churches. Previous to 1836, there were only 
ten Congregational churches in Illinois, and these were scat- 
tered all over the State, without any associational affiliation 
except that of the Illinois Association. Then the ten Congrega- 
tional churches organized during that year of 1836 were also 
scattered over the whole field ; but on the south was Knox Pres- 
bytery, and on the north Galena Presbytery. Then the first 
pastor had his honest convictions of preference for the Pres- 
byterian polity. The first record in regard to a change of 
polity was that of a meeting of the church, under date of the 
4th of November, 1838, called " for the purpose of receiving 
a communication from the Knox Presbytery, respecting the 
propriety of this church's changing her form of government, 
and joining that body." About this time a member of Knox 
Presbytery visited the church, to persuade it to make the 
change. After consultation the church adjourned, " for the 
purpose of more mature consideration," to another date, when, 
after discussion, a committee of two — K. K. Stewart and E. 
Qotie — were appointed to visit the members of the church, 
and ascertain their personal views upon the subject. The 
committee subsequently recommended the change, and 
reported that the members were willing to abide by the 
voice of the church. Upon this there was a tie vote — three 
yeas and three nays. At the next meeting Deacon Ward 
moved that the church remain Congregational, and take 
measures to join some association. This was lost, and then a 
motion to make the change, and to join Knox Presbytery, was 
carried, with only two dissenting voices, November 19th, 1838. 



19 

An eldership was then elected ; but, as modified by their 
Congregational ideas, it was made rotary^ whereas the Pres- 
byterian idea required permanence in the office. This plan 
of reelecting the elders was strictly carried out overy two 
years ; and still, though the session did the general business 
of the church, there were frequent church meetings for the 
transaction of special business. 

I have been thus particular in this history, to show how 
reluctant the church was to part with its prerogative of self- 
government, and that the animating motive in the change 
was to secure church communion, as appears from the record 
of the 1st of April, 1850, when the church resumed its func- 
tion as a Christian democracy, which is but another name for 
Con gregation alism . 

" Whereas the Presbyterian church of Geneseo was origin- 
ally formed a Congregational church, but became Presbyterian 
solely for the purpose of becoming connected with some eccle- 
siastical body (there being no Congregational body within a 
convenient distance), and did it with the express condition, on 
the part of the church, that they might have the opportunity 
of returning to their original form of government whenever 
an Association should be formed in the neighborhood ; and 
whereas the General Presbyterian Assembly (JST. S.), with 
which this church has been connected, has failed, in our 
opinion, to take that decided stand in opposition to the system 
of slavery and to slave-holding in the church, which our duty 
to those in bonds and to the cause of Christ, and especially 
the duty of Christian ministers demands ; and believing, as 
we do, that the faith and practice of orthodox Congregational 
churches are more in accordance with our views of truth and 
duty : therefore resolved^ That this church re-adojpt the Congre- 
gational form of government, and request of the Presbytery 
a letter of dismission to the Central Association." 

If, therefore, this church and society could have forfeited its 
own property by a change of ecclesiastical relation, the prop- 
erty would have belonged to the New School General Assem- 
bly, with which the church was associated, and not to the Old 
School, which has no more semblance of legal claim than it 



20 

has of moral claim to that which, by all laws of possession, 
belongs to another. 

The church, after belonging to Knox Presbytery for a time, 
changed its relation to the Galena Presbytery, for the sake of 
local convenience. After joining the Central Association it 
was disconnected to unite with other churches in forming the 
Geneseo Association. But by the diversion of travel occa- 
sioned by the introduction of the railway lines, many of the 
churches of this Association have fallen off to more contiguous 
Associations, until only three living churches remain in it, and 
it has scarcely had a vital existence for three or four years ; 
so that the church which was so desirous of church-fellowship 
has been eminently disappointed, yet it has strength enough 
to stand alone until agreeable relations may be formed. 



CHRISTIAN EDrCATIO^. 

Their institution was chartered by the Legislature of Illi- 
nois, as the Geneseo Manual Labor High School ; this name 
was afterward, by the same authority, changed to Geneseo 
Seminary. Rufus Hubbard, who was the first president of 
the Board of Trustees, E. Cone and Jairus Wilcox were the 
incorporators. 

The iirst school was opened in the pole cabin on the square, 
in the Summer of 1837, and taught by Susannah D. Stewart. 
In the second season Miss Karcissa Stewart taught the school 
in the new school-house. During 1839, a young Mr. Holmes, 
whom Rev. Jason Chapin had sent on, taught. In the Spring 
of 1840 Mr. Chapin came on with his family, and in June he 
commenced teaching, and continued in the service till he was 
removed by death, in September of 1846. It was during the 
iirst nine months of 1843 that I was in the school, commencing 
my preparation for college. It is my delight to bear testimony 
to the excellence of the school, and it is with gratitude that I 
acknowledge its influence in my course of education. Follow- 
ing Mr. Chapin, for seven years the seminary was under the 
care of Rev. A. Lyman, who, by teaching, by persistent efforts, 
at home and abroad, to raise funds for the completion of the 
seminary, getting three thousand dollars from the East, and 



21 

by preaching a part of the time for the church, performed 
a prodigious amount of laborious and self-den^nng service. 
Miss Pomeroy (now Mrs. F. Bascom), Miss Hooker, Miss Fos- 
ter and Miss Earl were his accomplished assistants. 

Rev. S. H. Waldo was for a few months in temporary charge 
of the institution. Then Mr. M. S. Croswell, just from Am- 
herst College, followed, for a short time. He enlisted in the 
army, and came out from a four-years' service as lieutenant 
colonel, and is now preparing for the ministry in Chicago 
Theological Seminary. He was succeeded by a Mr. Bartlett, 
who was assisted by Miss Sarah Andrews and Miss Hume. 
After accomplishing a great deal of good, the Seminary found 
itself competing with the increasingly popular system of 
graded schools, and found the place too small to sustain 
both. Having a considerable amount of accumulated indebt- 
edness, the trustees at last sold the brick seminary building 
and grounds to the city, to be used as the High School of 
the public system ; and so in a new form it is serving the cause 
of higher education. Rarely has a more noteworthy self- 
denial been exhibited than that which prosecuted the building 
of the brick seminary. In the po.verty of the people they 
subscribed labor. They worked in the brick yard ; they 
worked upon the building, tending masons. Some young 
men, just coming of age, subscribed two hundred dollars, to 
be worked out. Then, just as the walls were up, a storm blew 
down the sides, which were again put up. The ladies turned 
out to prepare a common table for the working " bees." 

THE WOMEN OF THE COLONY. 

I wish that I were able to pay them a suitable tribute. The 
rigors of a new-country life bear most severely upon the 
women. The tearing away from the comforts and the associ- 
ations of an eastern home, the exposures of removal and new 
settlement, the cramping of domestic accommodations, the 
absolute deprivation of many things ordinarily considered 
essential to family living, and hard, hard work, press heavily 
upon them. IS'ot thrown out upon the world, as men are, their 
life being within doors, they must necessarily feel most keenly 



22 

in their sensitive natures, the yawning contrasts of present 
with former surroundings ; yet, by their quiet faith, by their 
instinctive sight of the things that are coming, by their cheer- 
ing spirit, and by their multiform helpfulness, they become of 
the utmost importance to the immigrating community. Mis- 
sionary societies, that once thought it necessary to send out 
missionaries without wives, have found that the female mem- 
bers of the mission are of the utmost importance, and now 
they will scarcely send a man if he is not provided with that 
"good thing" called in the Bible, a wife. 

The lady members of this colony made themselves of the 
same necessity to it. Whether it was threading their way on 
foot around the morasses of the journey, or raising their bread 
during the day in the wagons, under the feather beds, or 
baking it at night, after the weary day, by the smoky camp- 
lire, or piling two or three families into one cabin, or living 
six months on pork and corn-bread, or refitting their ancient 
wardrobe to the hard times, or pining in sickness from the 
climatic malaria, or stealing a good cry. just occasionally, over 
the terrible wrenching off of all former enjoyments, — if you 
ask them how it was about those early experiences, they will 
tell you, '^ AVhy, it was all joy and no comforts ;" " we have 
never been happier since ;" " we never have done so much 
good as then." 

Yet not only in ordering their own households does their 
efficiency appear. They organize the social life ; they set in 
motion the delicate influences that assimilate it; they set up 
the sewing circle, the sociable, the ladies' prayer meeting, the 
festival ; they throw grace and cheer over the rude places of 
public worship, and furnish the more tasteful edifice that 
comes by and by — in short, they are just the Christian wives, 
and mothers and sisters that God made them to be, giving 
them to his church for helpmates and comforters. Their deli- 
cacy would be offended by singling out individuals ; but of 
each one may we not say, in this whole colonial development, 
'' she hath done what she could ;" she hath done it as unto her 
Master ; she hath emptied her alabaster box upon him in the 
perfume of her Christian spirit, while bearing the burdens of 
a new-country life. 



23 



GENESEO IN THE WAR. 



It is a most grateful service to recognize the relation of this 
colony to the war for our national life and for universal free- 
dom. Geneseo sent two full companies in the Ninth Illinois 
Cavalry, two full companies in the One Hundred and Twelfth 
Illinois, and nearly half a company besides in the same regi- 
ment, one company in the Eighth Kansas, one full company 
in the One Hundred and Ninth Illinois, besides many soldiers 
in the Thirty-fourth, Thirty-seventh, and other regiments. 
The record from official documents of the soldiers, who were 
either members of this church or attendants upon its worship, 
must surprise even you, as it has myself. I find that the list 
numbers forty-eight — twelve co«imissioned officers and thirty- 
six non-commissioned officers and privates. Two former pas- 
tors are reckoned in the number : Rev. Lieut. B. C. Ward, 
who fought with musket and bayonet, as well as with sword, 
and Eev. Capt. J. T. Cook, who was chaplain of the One Hun- 
dred and Ninth Illinois. Two sons of another former minister 
were among your braves — C. E. and Albert Miles ; and one 
son of a pastor elect — M. W. Ward. One of the old colonists, 
Harry Manville, sent four sons — Lieut. Charles Philo, Free- 
land Warren, Hichard Henry, and Septimus Ward, who gave 
his life to his country. The widow of Elisha Cone sent her 
two only sons, Francis and Charles, who lost his life. Eeuben 
Cone sent his sons, Edgar and Sidney, in the Seventh Kansas 
Cavalry; and the widow of Cromwell K. Bartlett sent her 
son David. Sixteen were members of the church, and thir- 
teen were from communicant families. A large number of 
the Geneseo boys were wounded in battle, and a much larger 
number suffered from sickness and personal injury. Some 
escaped from prison. Five from this congregation died in 
rebel prisons — Sergeant John Liken, C. B. Lord, J. W. Dowd, 
W. R. Ford, E. D. Hunt. When your own Major J. M. Hos- 
ford, having used himself up for the cavalry service, had 
become Commissary of Camp Douglas, and was showing me 
the process of baking soft bread for the rebel prisoners, and 
showing me the stores of inspected beans, crackers, pork and 
beef, which he served out to them in ample quantity, I could 



24 

not resist the suggestion : " Treat these fellows as the rebels 
treat our boys in prison !" Besides these five, five others from 
this congregation lost their lives — S. G. Bacon, Septimus W. 
Manville, Charles Cone, George Bernard and Simon Elliott. 
Oh, the precious offerings in sacrifice ! They gave their 
lives for their country, saying, virtually, as did that wonderful 
man, John Brown, " I am worth more to die than to live 1" 
Their memory we will cherish — their patriotism we will emu- 
late ; and, as there is a God in heaven, the fruit of their vic- 
tory in anguish and in blood we will preserve ! 

In estimating the complete influence of this church and 
colony, we are not to look simply at the present state of the 
community, the church and the school. Impalpable influences 
have gone out from this place to surrounding neighborhoods. 
Then the men and women, who have been sent out into differ- 
ent professions — those who have gone forth to give character 
to other churches elsewhere — the influence of early testimony 
on moral reform, and all the streaming influences of education 
that have gone forth from this place, must be taken into our 
estimate of the moral power generated by the simple Chris- 
tian institutions which have here been developed. In the final 
revelation of character and of principle it will be found that 
mighty forces have gone forth from this Christian movement. 

This review of thirty years must excite our gr'atitude for all 
the tokens of divine favor thus recounted. It is a matter of 
thanksgiving that God has thus honored this people with the 
privilege of fellowship with him in this service of the gospel. 
This review should also increase love for the church of Christ 
and for this particular church. 

Grateful for these tokens of God's favor, this church has 
occasion to renew its devotement to the great work of Chris- 
tianizing our country. 



ADMINISTRATIOK OF THE LORd's SUPPER. 

On Tuesday afternoon a very interesting communion sea- 
son was enjoyed. The services were introduced by the pastor, 
Rev. Harry Brickett, by remarks from Psalm Ixxviii : 19 — 



25 

" Can God furnisli a table in the wilderness ?" This question, 
he said, was proposed by an enemy of God to Israel, at the 
time of their passing through the wilderness, to possess the 
land of promise. The water gushing from the rock, the manna 
covering the ground, and quails in countless numbers, were 
the answer. The "West was considered years ago, as now, a 
land of promise. Thirty years ago unbelief prompted the 
same question, and others of like import : Can churches ever 
be planted and sustained on the hitherto untrodden prairies 
of the West ? Will the population ever warrant the building 
of houses of worship and the settlement of pastors ? We had 
the answer in the eloquent address of last evening. 

I thank God that this church has such a history, and, allow 
me to add, such a historian — one of her own sons, as she 
claims Mr. Roy to be, who loves her so well as to be willing 
to perform the labor of collecting and putting into form the 
scattered fragments of her history, her small but honorable 
beginning, and of the numberless mercies God has continued 
to bestow down to the present year. 

Let me assure you, my brother, that this church, which 
fondly claims the parental relation, welcomes you back, now 
and ever, to her affection and communion. 

I rejoice that these brethren in the ministry, Bros. Lyman 
and Miles, who have labored here in the Lord, sometimes in 
one capacity, sometimes in another, but always for Christ and 
his cause, are here. Some have been called away at the voice 
of the Master, to the enjoyment of the promised reward. I 
rejoice to meet this large band of brethren and sisters, with 
our friends who have come to commune with us on this festive 
occasion. You have come with grateful hearts, I trust. 

I have been but a short time, comparatively, with you — my 
first visit west of Niagara Falls. I loved, and still love, Kew 
England. Myself and family have left too many friends 
behind ever to forget. But I believe I am rapidly becoming 
a Western man : I feel at home among you. I have easily 
learned to love the children, and long for nothing more than 
to see them gathered for Christ. 

I find here at the West — in Geneseo and the environs, 
where only I feel much acquainted — New England rejuven- 



26 

ated : claiming and exercising a larger liberty of expression 
and action — having a newer life and a freer heart. 

We love our new home, and feel especially grateful for the 
commodious dwelling which has been built by the society for 
a parsonage, and for other conveniences and comforts provided 
by the ladies. 

The question proposed in the Psalm was — " Can God fur- 
nish a table in the wilderness ?" 

Thirty years ago, when the little church, already formed, 
came here in their covered wagons, this was a wilderness, 
literally, in all the wildness of Nature. See what in thirty 
years, by your hands, God hath wrought. The handful has 
become a congregation. This church has on its roll of mem- 
bers not far from three hundred names. Not only so : out of 
this church, in part, and in no small degree by her material 
aid, other evangelical churches have sprung up on either hand, 
with whom we dwell in friendly intercourse, often uniting in 
our labors for Christ. These churches — the Methodist, the 
Baptist, the Presbyterian, and the Episcopalian — have an 
aggregate of nearly four hundred members. Besides these 
are churches using the Swedish and the German languages. 

Jacob, on a memorable occasion, said : " With my staff I 
passed over this Jordan, and now I am become two bands." 
If the veterans of this settlement, some of whom I see before 
me, should in like manner look over the ground, they might 
say, " We came a little band, but we have been multiplied 
many fold, both in members and in places of worship." Breth- 
ren, the Lord hath spread a table for us and for our children. 
We bless his name that the little ones have not been forgotten 
at our Lord's Thanksgiving Supper, that he especially cares 
for them. 

A table ! — what pleasant thoughts and associations it sug- 
gests ! — it smacks of home — of love — of happy, joyous hearts. 
The Lord prepares this table, and gives us his choicest dain- 
ties. We acknowledge this as the Lord's table — Jesus as the 
true Master of the feast. How simple, yet how expressive, 
are these symbols, which the people of all languages can 
understand alike ! 

They are sj^read on a table. Is not the social character of 



27 

our religion here indicated? It is not in its essence exclusive. 
The bowels of sympathy yearn towar^ all for whom Christ 
died— to the poor, the lowly, the down-trodden. We, the 
church, are to keep this feast tillJesus comes— till the end of 
this dispensation— till he comes in person, when he will take 
charge of this ordinance himself. 

Brothers M. N. Miles and Addison Lyman, former minis- 
ters, presided at the table, and made the occasion interesting 
and profitable by happy reminiscences of the past. 

After the bread and wine had been passed, the audience 
again listened for a few minutes to Kev. J. E. Koy, who gave 
some additional items of interest. 

In the singing the audience were pleased to recognize and 
listen to a former leader of the choir, Mr. Anson M. Hubbard, 
now of Moline. It was a happy meeting. 

SOCIAL EETJNION. 

On Tuesday evening a social reunion was enjoyed at the 
Geneseo House, Mr. Abram Miller, proprietor. No pains 
were spared to make it pleasant to all assembled. The com- 
pany relished the supper and toasts and speeches, some of 
which could hardly be called " dry." 



LIST OF OFFICERS AND SOLDIERS, 

WHO WENT INTO THE SERVICE FROM GENESEO, OR ITS IMMEDIATE VICENITT. 

Hector J. Humphrey, Lieutenant Colonel, 9th Illinois Cavalry. 
James M. Hosford, Major, 112th Illinois Infantry. 
J. E. Wilkins, Captain, " 
Joseph Wesley, " " 

E. H. Colcord, 

J.S.Buckley, " 9th " Cavalry. 

S. A. Davison, '* 

F. H. McArthur, " " 
Thomas J. McNair, " 
Rev. R. N. Henderson, Captain and Chaplain, 112th Illinois Infantry. 



28 



Frank Curtis, Captain, 8th Kansas. 

T. W. O. Braffitt, " 9th Illinois Cavalry. 

Hanson Harrington, " " " " 

Charles Blakeman, " 

P. H. Sniff, " 139th " Infantry. 

George W. Lawrence, Lieutenant. 

Harry Fones, " 

C. G. Gearhart, " 

Rev. B. C. Ward, 

Jacob Bush, *' 

Charles M. Marshall, " 

Rev. J. T. Cook, Chaplain 139th Illinois Infantry. Former pastor. 

Jeremiah Duesler, Lieutenant. 

F. W. Harding, 

Charles P. Manville, " 

R. W. Calkins, '' 

W. G. Godfrey, " 

C. G. Gearhart, " 



former pastor of Congregational church. 



NON-COMMISSIONED OPPICERS AND PRIVATES. 



D. C. Bartlett 
A. H. Booth 

A. C. Bardwell, died in 
camp 

E. G. Comstock 
Albert Colbert 
Simon Elliot 

Thos. Faunce, died in 
rebel prison, Georgia 

Augustus Gregory 

Joseph Hart 

Warren Hart 

Henry Hardesty 

Wm. Hesler, captured 
and exchanged 

Godfry LaSalle 

Richard H. Manville 

Richard Miller 

J. S. Morrow 

Samuel Morrow 

Septimus Manville 

Isaac Morrow 

Jacob B. Maslin 

Freeland W. Manville 

W. A. Power 

Edwin A. Richmond 

Albert A. Sedgley 

D. R. Smith 



L. S. Long 
W. F. Remington 
Jackson Whitney 
Wm. Withrors 
Charles W. Sedgley 
John F. Browning 
W. W. Nye 
George W. Rasor 
N. W. Adams 
A. L. Adams 
Charles A. Ball 
Wm. Bernard 
E. W. Bishop 
G. W. Bracken 
H. M. Breed 
J. W. Brown 
Thomas H. Bush 
John Curly 
Hugh Doyle 
John Fleming 
E. O. Foss 
W. H. Harrington 
Henry Harrington 
A. J. Kinsey 
Joseph Mason 
Leonard May 
Clarence R. Miles 
D. W. C Miller 



Cyrus B. Lord, starved to 
death in Andersonville 
prison 

John Liken, starved to 
death in Andersonville 
prison 

Watson R. Ford, died at 
Danville prison 

Charles F.Barber, starved 
to death in Anderson- 
ville prison 

Lewis R. Colby, died in 
Danville prison 

Peter Colby, died in Dan- 
ville prison 

Thomas H. Daring, died 
in Andersonville prison 

George Crummitt, cap- 
tured, escaped from An- 
dersonville prison, and 
killed by bloodhounds. 

Frank Gurstung, died in 
Danville prison 

John W. Goss 

James Hart, died in An- 
dersonville prison 

Edwin D. Hunt, died in 
rebel prison 



29 



J. S. Smith 
John Timerman 
W. B. Thompson 
J. H. Underwood 
Charles H. Ward 
J. H. Ward 
Henry Young 
S. J. Aldrich 
James Bracken 
Charles Daily 
A. H. Mapes, wounded 
at battle of Hurricane 
Creek, and died of 
wound three days be- 
fore his term of ser- 
vice would have ex- 
pired. 
Thomas A. Matsell 
Theodore A. Weld 
E. A. Anderson 
Henry Bickly 
Munson Pierce 
A. T. Thompson 
Marcus Burton 
Andrew Cedarburg 
John Dolquiet 
Andrew Lindburg 



John Ott 
G. W. Parker 
F. F. Philbrook 
W. W. Raser 
James Stewart 
D. J. Tourley 
Emmett Turner 
Charles E. Turner 
Thomas White 

Nathan Williams 

George Bernard, died 
in hospital 

Albert Miles 

James Beston 

G. W. Bracken 

John R. Beveridge 

Bruce Crain 

A. B. Coe 

Byron Coe 

O. A. Cliflon 

John Doyle, starved to 
death in Anderson- 
ville prison 

J. W. Dowd, starved to 
death in Anderson- 
ville prison 



George W. Hatten, died 

in rebel prison 
Joseph C. Johnson 
James A. Little 
J. H. Lowe 
Wm. Miller 
Henry Maybie 
H. L. Powell 
W. H. Rankin 
John Ritchey 

T. W. Rickell 

J. S. Snyder, died in rebel 
prison 

R. O. Serene, died in An- 
dersonville prison 

R. F. Steele 

Charles Tyler 

F. H. Secord 

Ira White 

John Welch 

F. F. Westerfield 

Lewis Welch 

I. N. Welch 

Jacob Zimmerman 

Milo Ward 

Horatio Bacon 



Geo. L. Shafer, 1st Serg't 
Harry Fones, 2d " 
John Gustus, 3d " 
A.P.Lanphere,5th " 
David Vader, 1st Corp. 
Edw'd Cragin, 3d " 
John Welch, 4th " 
J. H. Gleason, 5th " 
Geo. B. Mo wry, 7th " 
C. R. Munson, 8th " 
Milo D. Daily, Musician 
Henry Lanphere, " 
Judson M. Atwood 
Samuel S. Barnhart 
WilberF.Broughton 
Thomas G. Bliss 
Rulandus Brown 
Charles F. Barber 
George Bunnel 



COMPANY I, GENESEO. 

Myron Dilenbeck 
Charles W. Eastman 
Robert Gay 
Charles T. Goss 
Frank Gurstung 
Wm. Griflan 
John Hamilton 
Cephas B. Hunt 
Richard D. Hoffman 
Harmon Hinkle 
Lewis E. Hill 
Calvin H. How 
Sylvester Kimball 
Swan Linquist 
Samuel Long 
James McClung 
Wm. D. McGaflfee 
Wm. Mitchell 
John C. Marshall 



Henry M. Phillips 
James Pierce 
Marcellus E. Preston 
Henry M. Richard 
Sanford W. Remington 
Thomas J. Reynolds 
George B. Ramsey 
Daniel R. Riggs 
John C. Rockwell 
Daniel Roberts 
Elias Rolin 
John Shattuck 
Eliton W. Smith 
Peter B. Shafer 
William Shattuck 
August H. Shrader 
Randolf M. States 
Alanson D. Thomas 
Thomas Van Buskirk 



30 



Jacob Barnhart 
Frederick Baser 
Peter Coyle 
Oric Cole 
Joshua Cain 
Lewis Deem 



Jacob Bush, 1st Segt. 
E.R.Pearsons, 2d " 
S'l W. Weaver, 3d " 
J. G. Rowland, 4tli " 
Milton Hill, 5th " 
Step'n Martin, 1st Corp. 
G. L. Brackey, 2d •' 
Adam Dunlap, 3d " 
James S. Riggs, 4th " 
John Murry, 5th " 
Nathan Smith, 7th " 
A. McMichol, Musician. 
W. B. French, " 
H. S. Humphrey, Wag'r. 
John Adams 
James Ague 
Martin Bartlett 
Moses Bensinger 
Charles Baum 
Henry J. Bucklesly 
Job Bartlett 
Fred Bach 
John M. Blade 
Jackson Biggs 
Robert Burrons 
George W. Buflfum 
Michael Crile 
Joseph Clough 



Joseph Mitchell 
"Wesley Neiswender 
Hugh Pound 
John B. Peterson 
James M. Price 
John M. Poor 

COMPANY K, GENESEO. 

John p. Cooper 
George CoUis 
Charles Crommett 
Abram A. Christ 
Michael Dilahenty 
Lewis H. Determan 
Cornelius G. Fike 
James Pones 
David Grant 
Wm. Harbaugh 
George Harbaugh 
Wm. Hilker 
Adam Heneger 
Wm. T. Hoyt 
S. Ingram 
Henry H. Joles 
Isaac P. Joles 
James Kenney 
Jesse B. Kilgere 
John W. Kenzen 
Frederick C. Lober 
Mason C. Long 
Michael Leddy 
Joseph W. Livermore 
Thomas McHenry 
Adam Miller 
Wm. Miller 
Wm. W. McHenry 



John G. White 
Marvin Welton 
Llewellyn Worthly 
Thomas J. Welch 
Joseph M. Welch 



Abner Mason 
Abraham Niswender 
Peter John Olson 
Gunne Opplequest 
Lewis Peters 
Elijah A. Pinnell 
Andrew Peterson 
Frank H. Rickel 
Adam H. Raisar 
John R. Renner 
Samuel Straus 
Conrad Smith 
Michael Sweeney 
Joseph Sneller 
Daniel D. Shellhamer 
Peter Shoe 
John Seivers 
Wm. Schull 
Conrad Stansver 
Amos Timmerman 
Delos Taylor 
Wm. A. Taylor 
James H. Vanwinkle 
James Wilson 
John H. Whittel 
Adam Whittel 
John Wahl 



3477-212 
Un I2.1J 

9TXU MBCBSKEHDS) 



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